via Games Industry


Strauss Zelnick, chairman of Take 2, has refused to narrow down a release period for Grand Theft Auto IV, saying the publisher won't commit until it's "utterly convinced" the game is ready.

Most recently the publisher has said the title will be released in Q1 of 2008 – between February 1 and April 30 – following a delay that saw the game moved from its initial release of October 2007.


Zelnick said that any concerns that the initial delay had caused it to miss the Christmas sales period have been alleviated, as GTA IV is a "must-have" title, able to take advantage of a bigger installed base of consoles in the New Year.


Zelnick also said that the exclusive downloadable content for Gran Theft Auto IV would not play a very significant role in generating revenue for the company in 2008, but it was a business model the publisher is keen to pursue in the future.

...

via Computer and Video Games


Reggie Fils-Aime reckons Nintendo's rivals have trapped themselves in a box in this current console generation cycle due to their decision to invest heavily in cutting-edge technology.

Microsoft and Sony have "gone down the path with building expensive machines that they lose money on. They've gone down the path with games that are hard to develop," the Nintendo of America boss said when comparing the approach Nintendo has taken to its competitors.

Reported on CNN, he described the challenge that Sony and Microsoft face in this console cycle as "significant".

...

via Eurogamer


Sony Europe has said it will sprinkle Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online onto the PlayStation Network tomorrow.

This, you may remember - like falling off a swing - adds an online versus mode, online rankings, a practice mode and a survival mode.

It will cost you GBP 14.99 if you buy it all in one, but if you listen to our Dickensian (as in David, not Charles) advice you could make a saving.

Buy the original Dark Resurrection PSN title for GBP 6.99 and add the Online Component for GBP 3.49 and you keep four-and-a-half quid to spend on an expensive pint of Belgian beer or flowers if you are Pat.

To enjoy this amazing bargain, however, you will need to buy the original Dark Resurrection game right now as in today, because come tomorrow it will be gone. ...

via Eurogamer


Sony has revealed that its Santa Monica studio is currently working on God of War III for the PlayStation 3.

The company also confirmed that God of War director Cory Barlog is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

The God of War franchise has become a fan-favourite since its release on the PlayStation 2 in 2005.


The next release in the action-adventure franchise will be the PSP game, due for release in March 2008. ...

via Computer and Video Games


New maps for Halo 3's already legendary multiplayer mode are well underway being its typical talkative type, Bungie has come out to tease us with details.

Jodrell Bank, Purple Reign and Vandelay are the three maps discussed, which we guess will make up the first map pack hopefully released via XBL before long.

Talking first about Jodrell Bank, Bungie says: "It's a Team Slayer main course and player counts would fit swimmingly into both Social Slayer and Team Slayer hoppers and I think it might even be possible to shoehorn a few more players into the mix without overcrowding things."

Purple Reign sounds pretty cool, too. "The earliest iteration of the map actually had a completely different overall shape. If I sketched the cross section of the map's floor onto a napkin it would've looked like a small hill, but when you played it, it wasn't readily apparent," says Bungie.

"In the last month, the concavity was changed so that if you were staring the same napkin with the new version of it it'd look more like a gently sloping bowl. The difference in the way the map played then versus now is pretty remarkable. Subtle changes to the floor's geometry resulted in wider lines of sight for players staring down one half of the map and an intricate and strategic mix of floor/column/ramp gameplay on the other side and all of the sneaky jumps those mechanics entail." Sweet.

And fans of H3's Forge mode will be into Vandelay. "Vandelay is structurally the simplest map we've ever made, yet the tools that we're providing with the help of the Forge give the map tons of potential. That potential could be used for devising clever contraptions, unique playspaces and when paired with Player Traits could become a test bed for new ideas from both Bungie and the playerbase."

It goes on to explain: "Up until now, Forge has been primarily thought of as an object editor. It's been a great tool for devising tweaks and changes to maps, the net result ranging from "Oh, you put more BRs on Snowbound," to "Wow, you made a Jail that you rescue players from."

Speaking of making jails, a player-created playtype which imitates the Jailbreak mode in Quake 1 has been spotted by a keen Bungie. Inventive players have used Forge to move crates to trap players in a simulated jail in the Pit level. "The teleporter sender nodes were placed up in the nooks and when players died all spawn points took them to what we'd start to call "The Jail," explains Bungie.

Bungie revealed that it will be working on tweaks for the clever playtype with the possibility of slapping it on the Bungie's Favourites menu within Halo 3.

"Map forgers and game variant makers we are watching, playing and enjoying what you're doing and it's entirely possible that you'll get a message from us once we've tested a gametype with some feedback and a few notes and maybe a date as to when it will be showing up on Favorites," says Bungie. ...

via Eurogamer


Those of you still playing Bizarre Creations' fairly decent rhythm-action game Boom Boom Rocket will soon be able to play along to it with guitar and dance mat peripherals. Wicked!

An upcoming patch adds support for both, and also makes a number of changes and tweaks to the scoring system and leaderboards, eliminating a few bugs in the process. It's all passed certification, which means it "won't be too much longer now".

"We're really happy that this update is finally going to see the light of the outside world, and we'd like to thank the Boom Boom Rocket faithful for sticking with the game through thick and thin," says Bizarre's lovely website.

So what's it like playing BBR with a dance mat? Well, as you can see on YouTube, it's very ridiculous. Check out our Boom Boom Rocket gamepage for the review and all the other jazz you've come to expect. ...

via Eurogamer


Microsoft suit with a made-up name, Mindy Mount, has said the Xbox 360 will be around for years.

Suggesting that maybe it chopped the head off Xbox a little early, she told a group of intimidating money people that they need look no further than the PS2 for inspiration.


The Xbox was thrown in the bin when Microsoft launched the 360 in November 2005. However, playground rival Sony made no such move, and we have seen an almost renaissance-like period for the PS2 in 2007, with strong releases like Okami, God of War II and Final Fantasy XII.

So popular has its old darling remained, it has lead observers to speculate that it was why Sony decided to remove backwards compatibility from the PS3. And a quick glance at the freshly announced and redesigned PS2 with built-in power supply adds considerable fuel to that fire. ...

via Games Industry


Microsoft has officially announced a new parental control feature, the Xbox 360 Family Timer.

The Family Timer will enable parents to set the appropriate amount of gaming and entertainment time for their kids, on a daily or weekly basis.

"As a leader in interactive entertainment, it's Microsoft's responsibility to provide parents with tools they can use to manage their children's video gaming and online experiences, and we have made that a priority from the very start," said Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft.

Similar to its Windows Vista counterpart, the new Xbox 360 Family Timer can restrict children's activity time and can be set on a per-day or per-week basis. Helpful "notifications" will appear to warn the gamer that the session is nearing the end and the feature will automatically turn off the console when a pre-determined time limit has been exceeded.

The Family Timer feature will be available for download via Xbox Live in early December.

According to Microsoft, Xbox was the first videogame and entertainment system with built-in parental controls for both online and offline use.

"We've seen a tremendous response to the robust parental controls offered on Xbox 360 and Windows Vista, and the Xbox 360 Family Timer will continue to deliver on our promise to provide safer, balanced and fun entertainment for everyone," Bach said.

"Professionally, I am proud of my division's work in this area, and personally, as a parent of three school-age children, I know how important it is to be engaged in an ongoing dialogue with my family in order to uphold our household screen time rules." ...

via Games Industry


Microsoft has said that it hopes the shelf life for its Xbox 360 will be longer than five years – the lifespan traditionally associated with a home console.

The console manufacturer dropped support for the original Xbox once it had released its successor in late 2005 – only four years after the launch of the original machine.

Speaking at a BMO Capital Markets conference, Mindy Mount pointed to the success of Sony's PlayStation 2, a machine entering its eighth year on the market.

"Look at the PS2; they've gone long-time and seem to have pretty good legs on what they are doing," said the chief financial officer.

"It we were able to do that, as a CFO I think that's great, because every year you draw it out you increase profitability," reports Reuters. ...